Habañero Pepper - An extremely hot chile pepper with short, squatted shape, usually orange in color. It has a fruity flavor and is best in the summer time.

Half and Half - A mixture of half cream and half milk (fat content is 10 - 12%).

Halibut - The largest member of the flatfish family, found in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, with lean, white, firm, mild-flavored flesh.

Halvah - A Middle Eastern confection made from ground sesame seeds and honey. Sometimes dried fruit or other ingredients are added. Halvah is available in wrapped bars in most supermarkets.

Ham Hock - The lower portion of a hog's hind leg, usually used to flavor soups, greens, beans, and stews.

Hard-Ball Stage - A test used in making candy describing the rigid ball formed when a drop of boiling sugar water syrup is dropped in cold water.

Hard-Crack Stage - A test used in making cand describing brittle threads formed when a drop of boiling sugar water syrup is dropped in cold water.

Hard Tack Rolling Pin - A rolling pin used when making hard unleavened breads.

Hard Wheat - Wheat high in protein and well-suited for bread-making because it produces flour that is rich in gluten.

Haricot Verts - Tiny, slender green string beans.

Harina - All-purpose flour.

Harira - A thick and robust North African soup.

Harissa - A combination of spices containing chilli that is ground with cumin, garlic, coriander, and olive oil.

Hartshorn - Known as ammonium bicarbonate and used as a levening agent before baking powder and baking soda were readily available.

Hash - A dish containing chopped potatoes, meat, and other vegetables.

Hasty Pudding - A simple dish of cornmeal mush made with water or milk and sweetened with molasses, maple syrup or honey. Wheat flour is used in England instead of cornmeal. Hasty pudding is served hot, sometimes dotted with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon then placed under a broiler until brown, or with milk or cream; makes a quick breakfast or simple dessert. Also known as Indian pudding.

Haute Cuisine - French term for the highest quality restaurant food available. The ingredients in this cuisine are not only of the finest quality, but the food is elegant and elaborate as well.

Havarti Cheese - A mild, semisoft Danish cheese that is pale yellow and has small irregular holes. It becomes sharper as it matures.

Hazelnut Oil - An aromatic, full-flavored oil pressed from hazelnuts; has the strong, distinct flavor of the roasted nut.

Head Cheese - Despite its name, this is a sausage, not a cheese product. Head cheese is made of finely chopped meat from the head of a calf or pig. The meat is seasoned and cooked in a gelatinous broth and molded.

Headspace - Space left at the top of a container to allow for the expansion of food when frozen or processed.

Herb Bouquet - A mixture of tied herbs used for seasoning in soups, sauces, and stocks.

Herbes de Provence - A French term for a mixture of dried herbs, usually containing basil, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory, lavender, thyme, and fennel seed.

Herbs - Diverse flavorings that are made of stems, leaves, flowers and seeds of various plants. Most herbs are available both fresh and dried.

Herkimer Cheese - Smooth, cheddar-like cheese, named after the county in New York where it was first produced.

Hermit - An old-fashioned cookie that contains chopped dates, raisins, nuts, and molasses or brown sugar.

Herring - A large family of fish found around the world. Herring are silver-blue in color, have a moderately high fat content, and are fairly strong in flavor. Their average market size is about 8 ounces.

High Altitude Baking - Because of lower air pressure, baking at elevations of 3,000 or more feet above sea level requires special adjustments. The USDA has the following guidelines: at 3,000 feet decrease the amount of baking powder called for in a recipe by 1/8 teaspoon; at 5,000 feet decrease by 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon; and at 7,000 feet decrease by ¼ teaspoon. Reducing the amount of sugar by 1 to 3 tablespoons may also be helpful. Melting butter or chocolate in microwave ovens can also take a few seconds longer at higher altitudes. Region-specific guidelines may be available from your state department of agriculture.

High Fiber - A food containing 5 grams or more of fiber per serving.

Hog Jowl - The fatty cheek of a hog that is smoked and cured. Used as as a seasoning like bacon or salt pork.

Hoisin, Peking Sauce - Sweet and spicy sauce made from soybeans, garlic, chiles and a variety of spices. Hoisin is used as a condiment and flavoring in Chinese cuisines. Can be purchased in jars.

Hollandaise Sauce - A sauce made from egg yolks and butter and flavored with lemon juice or vinegar.

Homard - French term for lobster.

Hominy - Dried yellow or white corn kernels with the hull and germ removed. Served as a side dish and used in some Mexican stews.

Homogenization - A process used to break down the fat globules in milk and distribute them evenly throughout the liquid. This is done by spinning the milk at very high speeds through an ultra-fine mesh. Commercial salad dressings often are similarly processed to emulsify the mixture.

Honey - A thick, sweet liquid made by bees from flower nectar and stored in the cells of the hive for food. Used as a sweetner.

Honeydew Melon - Honeydews are bluntly oval in shape and weigh anywhere from 4 pounds to 8 pounds. Their rind is yellowish-white and a creamy color indicates ripeness. These fruits are available almost year-round.

Hopping John, Hoppin' John - A southern U.S. dish of black-eyed peas and white rice seasoned with ham hock.

Hops - A vining plant of Europe and Asia that produces conelike flowers and tender edible sprouts. The flowers are dried and are used to give the slightly bitter taste to beer.

Hors d'Oeuvre - Small, bite-size foods served as an appetizer.

Horseradish - An ancient bitter herb. Originally grown in eastern Europe, horseradish can be used in a variety of ways. The spiky leaves can be used in salads, while the white pungent root is most often grated and used in sauces or as a condiment.

Hot Sauce - A seasoning sauce containing chile peppers, salt and vinegar.

Hubbard Squash - A very large winter squash with a thick, bumpy, hard shell ranging in color from dark green to bright orange.

Huckleberry - A wild, dark blue berry with hard seeds which resembles the blueberry. They can be eaten plain or baked in in pies and muffins.

Huevos Rancheros - A Mexican dish that contains fried eggs on a corn tortilla topped by a green or red chile sauce, salsa, onions and cheese.

Hull - To remove the leafy parts of fruits such as strawberries, blackberries or raspberries.

Hummus - Also spelled "humus" and "houmus." Middle Eastern dish made from mashed chickpeas, tahini (sesame seed butter), olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Can be used as a sandwich filling, spread or dip.

Hushpuppy - A small, fried cornmeal dumpling, flavored with chopped green onion. Hushpuppies are a traditional southern U.S. accompaniment to fried catfish and slaw.

Hydrogenated Fats - Fats that have gone through hydrogenation to prolong their shelf life. Trans-fatty acids that are created by this process act like saturated fats, thus increasing the cholesterol production in the body. Hydrogenated fats can be found in some vegetable oils, margarine and snack foods.

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil - Oil that has been modified from a liquid to a solid or semisolid state through hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation - The process of hardening an unsaturated fat by adding hydrogen atoms to an unsaturated fat molecule. This enables the fat to remain solid at room temperature. Margarine is a good example.

Hyssop - Various herbs belonging to the mint family.